We Believe Training Leaders Changes Communities!
Check out these upcoming opportunities!
Opportunities with Dr. Leah Schade: April 17+19
The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. An ordained Lutheran minister (ELCA) for more than twenty years, Leah earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary). She has pastored three Pennsylvania congregations in suburban, urban, and rural contexts. Her book, Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019), explores how clergy and congregations can address controversial social issues using nonpartisan, biblically-centered approaches and deliberative dialogue. She is also the author of Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit (Chalice Press, 2015), and co-editor with Margaret Bullitt-Jonas of Rooted and Rising: Voices of Courage in a Time of Climate Crisis (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019).
Dr. Schade received a $30,000 grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion to study deliberative dialogue in classrooms and congregations. She has served as a consultant with the United Methodist Church Great Plains Conference training trainers in the sermon-dialogue-sermon method and developing an issue guide for congregations navigating denominational conflict regarding LGBTQIA+ inclusion. She has conducted longitudinal research on ministry, preaching, and social issues that has surveyed nearly 3,000 clergy and 1,000 laity since 2017. Dr. Schade received the Kentucky Council of Churches award in 2019 and is the EcoPreacher blogger for Patheos.
Two Great Workshops for Oak Ridge Made Possible By Periodic Tables and Dr. Schade
Discovering Our “Theologies of Conflict” for Clergy and Community Non-Profit Leaders
Monday April 17, 9:00-11:00 @UWAC Building, 301 Broadway Ave. Oak Ridge
Description: Tensions and conflict are normal within churches and among people of faith, but they are also sources of anxiety and dread for many. However, if we look at conflict from a theological perspective, we may discover God’s presence in unexpected ways. This session with Rev. Dr. Leah Schade will explore the unspoken assumptions that people of faith can have about the relationship between God and our human disagreements and skirmishes.
Is it possible to be in conflict and yet remain connected? How do we assess our “theologies of conflict” to understand ourselves and our faith more fully?
Participants will work with a tool that they can use in their congregations to unearth beliefs about how God relates to us in the midst of conflict so that we can find common vocabulary and handle tensions in a healthier and growth-producing way.
Threading the Needle: Navigating Divisive Politics and Healing Relationships,
Wednesday April 19 from 6:00-8:00 PM @ the United Way Anderson County Building, 301 Broadway Ave in Oak Ridge
Description: As our society and churches are frayed by divisive politics, the tension sometimes spills into our families, friendships, and workplaces. Holiday meals are strained, family members stop speaking to each other, and an “emotional cold war” overtakes the gifts of nurturing and support that are necessary for human relationships to thrive. In this session, Rev. Dr. Leah Schade will provide some frameworks for understanding the dynamics of divisive politics in interpersonal relationships and suggest strategies and tactics for healing and restoration.
“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”
— Peter Drucker